Saturday, February 6, 2010

Have I ruined it for myself?

I totally meant to have pictures of our awesome CSA box that we got yesterday but I didn't go and pick it up and my sweet Adam had everything put away into the fridge by the time I got home from yoga (which by the way was hard, but great last night). What is a CSA box, you ask? If you were to google the term, you'd find that CSA is Community Supported Agriculture and the basic premise of most programs is that you (and a group of other people that are into local foods) will make a payment to a farmer before the harvest season (usually June-Oct) to fund their growing season and in return you'll receive a box of that week's harvest each week during those months. I read about it in Michael Pollan'sIn Defense of Food and decided to see what was available in our area. Turns out quite a lot. Anyhoo, I signed us up for a much less money intensive program and we can get a box (or half box like we got this week) when we need it and we just mail a check each week. We get our stuff from a cooperative of farms in Wisconsin and they do their program year round, which is pretty cool in CSA land. It's easy, you sign up, mail a check and pick up at a local hippie coffee shop.

For the good... the box, or really paper bag, we got was full of goodness. Mushrooms, oranges, bananas, a large melon (not sure if it's cantaloupe or honeydew), apples, potatoes, onions, broccoli and some other assortments. I was surprised of the quantity. I also purchased a dozen eggs and they look GLORIOUS, all different colors of browns. And they are supposedly laid by happy chickens in Wisconsin. Cute.

For the bad... ok. My main reason for doing this was to hopefully educate myself on things that are in season and I know that the bananas and melon did not come from Wisconsin in the dead of winter. I realize they are just trying to give us our money's worth during the off-season but I would have rather seen beets (which would have required some research for me to cook with and some bravery since I'm not sure I've ever had any interest in eating them). So, I'm not sure how I feel about getting more of it although it was kind of nice to get a large quantity of produce for $9 and some sweet eggs that won't make me feel insanely guilty about the chickens.

Now, for the sad news. I think I may be on the path to ruining one of my greatest pleasures in life. The worst part about making major commitments to eating as much of your daily diet in healthful, whole foods is that you start not being able to tolerate the not so healthful things you mix in there. The last couple of times we've gone out drinking, I've had a rip-roaring headache in the morning, which is not something that has ever happened to me before. Last night I had a Miller Lite and two hard ciders and my head is bumpin! What is that about? Please don't let this new lifestyle ruin beer for me! Not cool, body. I have been trying to treat you as well as I can so don't let me down.

It's mornings like this that make me so irritated that I don't have an endless supply of real (not Americanized) German beer here. Why do we put sulfites and other crap (that ultimately turns into formaldehyde in your body... yes, the same stuff they soak the pigs and frogs you dissected in school in) in our alcohol here? Grrr.

Enough ranting. Must eat oatmeal and go to the gym to sweat off the beer and hopefully rid myself of the headache.